Thursday, August 29, 2013

VA Libertarian kept out of debates & most polls

August 26, 2013 - "Virginians will have three options in November when they mark their choice for governor on the ballot.

"But you wouldn’t know it from scanning coverage of the contentious race for the commonwealth’s highest seat in public office.

"It’s hard to turn on the TV, read a tweet or open a web browser without seeing ads — usually attack ads — for either Republican Ken Cuccinelli orDemocrat Terry McAuliffe. Many pollsters and debate gatekeepers, not to mention media outlets, are leaving Libertarian Robert Sarvis out of the conversation entirely....

"'I’m talking about issues that just aren’t being talked about,' Sarvis said in an interview with Watchdog.org, mentioning pension reform, decriminalizing minor drug offenses, creating a preferential-free and simple tax system and shrinking Virginia’s reliance on the federal government.

"[T]hird-party candidates like Sarvis ... aren’t well known ... so they often aren’t included in polls. Because they aren’t included in polls, they can’t meet polling criteria for debating their opponents.... They don’t have a chance to hash it out with opponents, so they don’t get public exposure. (The comparatively diminutive size of third-party war chests also doesn’t help.)"